{"id":15887,"date":"2024-02-23T10:58:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T10:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/?p=15887"},"modified":"2024-02-23T11:12:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T11:12:32","slug":"deutsche-grammophon-releases-superman-single-from-john-williams-concert-in-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/?p=15887","title":{"rendered":"Deutsche Grammophon Announces &#8216;John Williams in Tokyo&#8217; (Digital, CD &#038; Blu-ray) + &#8216;John Williams in Concert&#8217; 7-LP Vinyl Box Set"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0Cv_MUbnNGA?si=KBobFtSRYrT2RX2d\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.deutschegrammophon.com\/en\/artists\/john-williams\/news\/john-williams-in-tokyo-272135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PRESS RELEASE<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>30 years after his last visit to Japan,\u00a0<strong>John Williams<\/strong>\u00a0returned for two special concerts \u2013 one in Matsumoto and one in Tokyo \u2013 marking his debut with the world-famous\u00a0<strong>Saito Kinen Orchestra,<\/strong>\u00a0with selections from his beloved film scores, and reuniting with his longtime friend, world-renowned conductor\u00a0<strong>Seiji Ozawa<\/strong>. The second of these concerts was captured live on record at Suntory Hall last year and the resulting recording,\u00a0<strong><em>John Williams In Tokyo,<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is set to be released by\u00a0<strong>Deutsche Grammophon<\/strong>\u00a0on\u00a0<strong>3 May<\/strong>, following his acclaimed concert albums,\u00a0<em>The Berlin Concert<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>John Williams in Vienna<\/em>, which topped charts around the globe. The first single,\u00a0<strong>\u2018Superman March\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0is out now along with a music video of the performance. The digital album is available for pre-order from today, with details of the physical editions to follow \u2013 including a\u00a0<strong>deluxe limited edition vinyl box set\u00a0<\/strong>to include Williams\u2019 recordings from Vienna, Berlin, Boston and Tokyo for release later in the year.<\/p>\n<p>It was a long-held dream of Seiji Ozawa\u2019s to see John Williams and the Saito Kinen Orchestra perform together in Japan, so the performances \u2013 and their reunion last year \u2013 held great meaning for both artists. \u00a0Months in the planning, the announcement of this live recording was originally scheduled for the week of John Williams\u2019 birthday (8 February). However, following the news of Seiji Ozawa\u2018s passing, it was decided to announce the recording today after close discussion with his family and management.<\/p>\n<p>Williams was invited to Japan by his good friend Ozawa to conduct the Saito Kinen Orchestra \u2013 Ozawa\u2019s \u201cmusical family\u201d \u2013 so the realisation of the two concerts in Matsumoto and Tokyo was a landmark moment \u2013 not only for the pair, but for music fans around the world. Ozawa said of the occasion:\u00a0<em>\u201cThis special collaboration between them in Matsumoto and Tokyo was a joy that genuinely defies expression \u2013 my longstanding dream has finally come true!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0The feeling was reciprocated by John Williams: \u201c<em>It was a joy to return to Japan after 30 years to visit my dear friend and longtime musical colleague Seiji Ozawa and to conduct his brilliant Saito Kinen Orchestra for the very first time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Williams was a close friend of Ozawa ever since the latter was Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and took part in the Tanglewood Music Festival in western Massachusetts. As Ozawa recounted in January of this year,\u00a0<em>\u201cI\u2019ve consistently encouraged John to experience the unique essence of the Saito Kinen Orchestra, confident that he would love it\u201d<\/em>. Ozawa was in Matsumoto to witness the concert and was delighted to be reunited with his friend.<\/p>\n<p>The concerts took place in September 2023, following Williams\u2019 recent performances with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles. He conducted the Saito Kinen Orchestra at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, a music festival directed by Seiji Ozawa, and a gala concert at Suntory Hall in Tokyo celebrating the 125th anniversary of Deutsche Grammophon. Both concerts had sold out in minutes.<\/p>\n<p>The long-awaited collaboration consisted of an all-Williams programme, including \u2018Superman March\u2019, \u2018Theme from Schindler\u2019s List\u2019 and \u2018The Imperial March\u2019 from\u00a0<em>Star Wars<\/em>. For both concerts, John Williams shared the podium with acclaimed conductor and friend,\u00a0<strong>St\u00e9phane Den\u00e8ve<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the New World Symphony, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic.<\/p>\n<p>After the first half of the programme (conducted by Den\u00e8ve), Williams appeared on the Tokyo stage and introduced his \u2018Superman March\u2019 in honour of Ozawa. He said,\u00a0<em>\u201cIf you translate \u2018Superman\u2019 from English back into Japanese, \u2018Superman\u2019 means Seiji Ozawa.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0The audience was moved by his words indicating their deep friendship and the Saito Kinen Orchestra responded to their enthusiasm with a riveting performance.<\/p>\n<p>Captured live at the concert in Tokyo, the long-awaited release of this musical celebration of friendship is planned for 3 May, the day before so-called\u00a0<em>Star Wars\u00a0<\/em>Day (\u2018May the Fourth\u2019). The album includes 11 pieces conducted by Williams and a bonus track,\u00a0<strong>\u2018Tributes! (for Seiji)<\/strong>, conducted by Den\u00e8ve. The work was composed by Williams in 1999 to honour Ozawa\u2019s 25th anniversary as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and is now being released for the first time worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Later in the year, Deutsche Grammophon will continue to celebrate the art of John Williams with the release of\u00a0<strong><em>John Williams in Concert<\/em><\/strong>, a deluxe and very limited 7LP vinyl box set featuring his latest DG recordings alongside exclusive fan content. The release, available to pre-order on 4 May, will include his historic Vienna, Berlin and Boston concerts as well as the newest addition,\u00a0<em>John Williams in Tokyo<\/em>. Parallel to this release, a week-long John Williams celebration will take over\u00a0<strong>STAGE+<\/strong>\u00a0featuring selected concerts, both new and from the archive.<\/p>\n<p>For more than half a century, John Williams has shaped the history and sound of film music, his instantly memorable themes and consummate orchestrations gracing some of the finest movies of modern times. His extensive catalogue also includes other symphonic and chamber works, as well as innovative adaptations of his own cinematic themes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15924\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JWTokyo-DG.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"544\" height=\"544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JWTokyo-DG.jpg 544w, https:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JWTokyo-DG-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JWTokyo-DG-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JWTokyo-DG-260x260.jpg 260w, https:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/JWTokyo-DG-160x160.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 544px) 100vw, 544px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>John Williams in Tokyo<\/strong><br \/>\nSaito Kinen Orchestra conducted by John Williams<br \/>\nRecorded on September 5, 2023 at Suntory Hall, Tokyo (Japan)<br \/>\nLabel: Deutsche Grammophon<br \/>\nDistributed by Universal Music LLC, Japan<\/p>\n<p>Release date: May 3, 2024<\/p>\n<p>TRACK LIST<br \/>\n01. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4Aau6Y1pZlI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Superman<\/em> March<\/a><br \/>\n02. Hedwig&#8217;s Theme from <em>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer&#8217;s Stone<\/em><br \/>\n03. Fawkes the Phoenix from <em>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets<\/em><br \/>\n04. Harry&#8217;s Wonderful World from <em>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer&#8217;s Stone<\/em><br \/>\n05. Theme from <em>Schindler&#8217;s List<\/em><br \/>\n06. The Rebellion is Reborn from <em>The Last Jedi<\/em><br \/>\n07. Princess Leia&#8217;s Theme from <em>Star Wars<\/em><br \/>\n08. Throne room and Finale from <em>Star Wars<\/em><br \/>\n09. Yoda&#8217;s Theme from <em>The Empire Strikes Back<\/em><br \/>\n10. The\u00a0Raiders March from <em>Raiders of the Lost Ark<\/em><br \/>\n11. The Imperial March from <em>The Empire Strikes Back<\/em><br \/>\n12. Tributes! (for Seiji) &#8211; Conducted by St\u00e9phane Den\u00e8ve<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/utik6dYSf3Y?si=NMAalMYw3jRplDXO\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jwfan.com\/forums\/index.php?\/topic\/35367-john-williamsst%C3%A9phane-den%C3%A8ve-to-conduct-the-saito-kinen-orchestra-in-tokyo-japan-sept-5-2023\/&amp;do=findComment&amp;comment=2012437\">Discuss this topic in our forums<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">See also:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/?p=15488\">John Williams and St\u00e9phane Den\u00e8ve Conduct the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Tokyo, Sep. 5, 2023 (Review, Photos &amp; Videos)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PRESS RELEASE: 30 years after his last visit to Japan,\u00a0John Williams\u00a0returned for two special concerts \u2013 one in Matsumoto and one in Tokyo \u2013 marking his debut with the world-famous\u00a0Saito Kinen Orchestra,\u00a0with selections from his beloved film scores, and reuniting&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/?p=15887\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,21,9,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-cd-digital","category-releases","category-videos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15887"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15965,"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15887\/revisions\/15965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jwfan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}